Double blank ejector



May 27, 1941- P.- E. PEARSON DOUBLE BLANK EJEGTOR Filed July 29, .1939 5 She'ts-Sh eet l May 27, 1941. P. E. PEARSON I 2,243,649

DOUBLE BLANK EJECTOR I I Filed July 29,, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet .U H N a NM ww kg \\\\1| a :11}. lllllsflll! I M u, t t,

May 27, 1941. P. E. PEARSON I DOUBLE BLANK EJECTOR Filed Jul 29, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 3 May 27, 1941. P; E. PEARSON DOUBLEQBLANK EJECTOR Filed July 29, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 27, 1941. P. E. PEARSON DOUBLE BLANK EJECTOR I Filed July 29, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 27, 1941 UNITED STATES DOUBLE BLANK EJECTOR Paul E. Pearson, Chicago, 111., assigncr to (Jon-- tinental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 29, 1939, Serial No. 287,399

Claims.

The invention relates generally to blank feeding mechanisms employed in the feeding of blanks to punching or stamping presses or the like, and primarily seeks to provide a novel means for detecting the presence of and ejecting double or superposed blanks.

It sometimes happens in punching or stamping presses or in generally related metal working machines that blanks will stick together when drawn off from the blank stack and be fed into the machine in double or superposed relation, thereby causing jamming or breaking of parts. I am aware that double blank ejectors of various types have been provided heretofore in efforts to avoid the objectionable conditions stated, but these ejectors have been limited in eificiency in various ways, such as failure to provide ejection function intervals sufficient to assure proper operation under all conditions of use, and inability to function during fast feeding of blanks of various sizes.

The invention therefore has for an object to provide a novel double or superposed blank ejecting mechanism which avoids the objectionable conditions stated and which embodies blank ejecting means, means mechanically actuated by double or superposed blank contact for detecting the presence of such blanks and actuating said ejecting means, and means for holding the ejecting means in ejecting position for an interval of time suflicient to assure the desired blank ejection.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an ejecting mechanism of the character stated a novel latching means effective upon each movement of the ejecting means to the ejecting position to hold the ejecting means in the ejecting position, and means actuated by movement of retraction of the blank feeding mechanism for releasing the latching means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latching means of the character stated including a yieldable latching nose which is automatically deflected by the ejecting means as it is moved to the ejecting position and then engages and secures the ejecting means in the ejecting position.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by following the detailed description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a left side elevation of a press with the invention embodied thereon.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the portion of the press in which is embodied the blank feeding mechanism, the feed bar being shown in elevation.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the blank feeding mechanism and the cooperating double or superposed blank ejecting means, the guard for the latching equipment being removed.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail face view of the blank feeding bar, parts thereof being shown in longitudinal section.

Figure 5 is a detail vertical cross section taken on the line 5-5 on Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a front elevation illustratingth'e pivotally mounted supporting head and the latching devices, parts being broken away and in section.

Figure 7 is a vertical cross section through the blank feeding mechanism at the position of the ejected blank discharging chute.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure '7, the section being taken through the axis of one of the securing means for the pivotally mounted supporting head.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudi nal section taken through the ejecting mecha nism, the feed bar being shown in dottedline phantom.

In this disclosure the invention is illustrated as embodied in combination with the press feeding mechanism of a conventional press including the usual base frame 5, and the body frame 6 which is pivotally supported on the base frame as at l and includes the usual base or bed 8 onto which the blanks 9 are fed one by one by any acceptable form of blank feeding'mechanism. v

The mechanism for feeding the blanks 9 includes the usual blank reservoir or stack Ill and the usual suction cup I I which draws the blanks one by one from the bottom of the stack and is carried on the upper end of a plunger l2 reciprocable in a supporting bearing l3 through the medium of crank and link connections M with the power shaft [5. The blanks extracted one byone from the stack I!) are fed step by step toward the press bed over supporting ways 16 and between laterally adjustable guides I! by the reciprocable blank feeding mechanism. This feeding mechanism includes a feeder bar it having a plurality of equidistantly spaced recesses l9 in the upper portion thereof and a feed dog 2!! pivotally supported as at 2i in each recess and yieldably projected from its mounting recess by a spring equipment 22. i

It will be observed by reference to Figures 4 and '7 of the drawings that the feeder bar l8 carries a wear strip 23 at its under surface, and

a flat cam member 24 depends from the wear strip for a purpose later to be described. The feeder bar also includes a cross head portion 25 which is slide-guided as at 216 and has a cross grooveway 21 in which two rigid feed bar elements 28 are laterally-adjustably mounted in the manner illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and of the drawings. The upstanding fingers 29 of the rigid bars 28 move under and beyond the suction cup upon each retraction of the feeder bar so that said fingers will engage and move forwardly the blank deposited thereon by each downward movement of the suction cup.

An actuator head 36 is longitudinally-adjustably secured to the cross head through the medium of a slot and screw equipment 3|, and reciprocation is imparted to this head and to the feeder bar I8 to which it is attached by crank and link connections 32 with the power shaft I5.

Friction bars 33 overlie and frictionally engage the blanks 9 as they are fed step by step over the ways I6 and serve to always keep the blanks under control while they are being fed through the machine.

Each friction bar is spring pressed downwardly, by spring equipments 34, from the supporting head 35 on which it is carried and on which it has limited movement toward and from the ways on limiting pin mountings 36. Each head 35 is mounted on a cross member or bridge 3'! which is hinged at one side as at 38 and removably secured at the other side as at 39 so that it can be swung upwardly away from the ways to facilitate access to the feeding devices.

Between the cross members and bridges 37, and at one side of the blank feeding mechanism, is secured an ejected blank receiving and discharging chute 40, and at the side opposite said chute there is positioned a pair of spaced pivot brackets 4!. These pivot brackets serve to pivotally support a supporting head 42, and it will be observed by reference to Figures 3, 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings that this head includes a single bearing extension 43, a double bearing extension 44, and a stop bar extension all overlying the blank feed line. This head also includes a pair of ears 46 one projecting from each end thereof and each apertured as at 41 to receive or fit over a threaded stub 48 projecting from the respectivepivot bracket 4|. A quick-demountable securing nut 49 engages each stub 48 for normally securing the head in the position illustrated in Figures 3 and 8 of the drawings, said nuts being removable so that the head can be swung upwardly away from the normal position in which these extensions overlie the blank feeding line.

It will be observed by reference to Figures 2 and 9 of the drawings that the stop bar extension 45 carries a removable stop lug56, and this lug is engaged by an adjustable stop or limiting screw-5| carried by a double or superposed blank detecting or ejector actuator lever arm 52 which is pivotally mounted at 53 at one of its ends on the single bearing extension 43 and includes a depending supporting arm equipment 54 disposed between its pivotand the limiting screw 5| and at the lower end ofwhich is supported a roller 55. The roller is positioned by the adjustable screw 5| so that single blanks will pass under it without lifting it, but whenever double or superposed blanks move under the roller, it will be lifted and will detect the presence of such blanks. At its free end the lever arm 52 is link-connected as at 56 with a crank extension 5'! from an ejector member 58 which is pivotally supported on a cross shaft 59 rockably mounted in the double bearing extension 44. The ejector member 58 is normally positioned by adjustment of either or both of the adjustable link 56 and the limiting screw 5| so that its receiving nose 60, which is bifurcated to permit passage of the feed dogs 26, is normally spaced above the feed ways a distance sufficient to permit free passage of blanks.

It will be observed by reference to Figure 9 of the drawings that the double bearing extension 44 is recessed as at 6| to accommodate movement of the member 58 toward and from the feed ways, and the extension also carries a pair of laterally spaced friction bars 62 each supported for limited downward movement on pins 63 and yieldably urged against blanks traveling over the feed ways by compression springs 64.

The lever arm 52 is urged downwardly by a spring 65 connected to said arm and with the stop bar extension 45, and a tension spring 65 maybe connected between end portions of the arm 52 and crank 51 extending beyond the connections thereof with the adjustable link 56. It will be observed by reference to Figure 9 of the drawings that since the distances of extension of the arm 52 and the crank member 51 from their respective fulcra varies, the spaced relation of the extensions from these elements will vary as said elements are rocked about their fulcra, and the spring 66 will serve to quicken the action of the ejector member 58 in its movement to the ejecting position.

The shaft 59 extends under the supporting head 42 and has a stop lever 61 adjustably secured thereon as shown in Figures 3, 6 and TM the drawings. This stop lever engages an adjustable stop screw 68 and carries a latch arm 69. The normal position of this latch arm is illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings, and when the .Iatch arm is in this position the ejector member 58 will be in its normal, elevated position as illustrated in Figure 9 of the drawings.

A latch hook 16 cooperates with the latch arm 69 and is pivotally supported as at H on an arm 12 secured to a shaft 13 rockably supported as at I4 on the frame structure. See Figures 6 and 7. The shaft 73 also carries an actuator arm 15 equipped at its free end on a roller 16 which is constantly urged toward the feeder bar wear strip 23 by a tension spring 1'! which is connected to the arm 12 and with one of the pivot brackets 4| in the manner illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings.

The latch hook member is yieldably held against the arm 12 through the medium of a stud 18 which is secured to the hook member and passes through an aperture in said arm. At its free end the stud carries anabutment head 19, and a compression spring 88 is interposed between the abutment head and the arm 12in the manner illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings. Thus the hook 10 is yieldably held against the latch arm 69 in the position illustrated in Figure 6, and each time the latch arm 69 is depressed by depression of the ejector member 58 for double or superposed blank ejecting purposes, the hook 76 will hook over the latch arm and hold it and said ejector member in the lowered position. This latched condition of the parts will pertain throughout the whole of the particular forward movement of the feeder bar l8, but when the bar is retracted to pick up the blanks frictionally held by the various friction bars for another forward feed step, the cam 24 will engage the roller 16 and rock the arms 15 and 12 to release the latch hook it and permit the ejector member 58 to move upwardly, assuming of course, that the detector roller 55 is not being held up by a double or superposed blank, in which case no upward movement of the latch arm' E8 and ejector member 58 would take place.

A guard 8! is mounted over the latch equipment and is pivotally supported as at 82 in the manner illustrated in Figures 6 and '7 of the drawings.

A collecting hood 83 is secured in spaced relation above the ejector member 58 and serves the purpose of preventing upward ejection and ob jectionable displacement of ejected blanks fed upwardly over the member 58 when the receiving nose 60 thereof is depressed for blank ejecting purposes. It will be observed by reference to Figure 7 of the drawings that the feeding and ejecting mechanisms are disposed at a sharp angle so that ejected blanks received over the member 58 and under the hood 83 will fall away laterally by gravity over the discharge chute 4!).

In operation the blanks drawn individually from the bottom of the stack by the suction cup H are received on the rigid feed bar 28 and are fed forwardly the first step by the rigid feeder finger 29, and through successive steps by the depressible fingers 29 onto the press bed 8. During these normal feeding movements of the blanks 9 the blanks are always frictionally held under control by the friction bars 33 and 62, the detector wheel 55 permits free passage of the individual blanks, and the ejector member 53 is elevated above the path of movement of the blanks so as not to interfere therewith.

Whenever a double or superposed blank is drawn from the stack by the suction cup H and fed into the feed line, the detector wheel 55 will be elevated as such a blank passes thereunder.

Lifting of the wheel 55 serves to lift the free end of the lever 52 and the crank member 5'1, and the ejector member will thus be depressed so that the nose 6%! thereof will dip beneath the approaching double or superposed blank and cause it to ride up out of the feed line and onto the ejector member 58 to be ejected by gravity action from the machine.

As has been previously described, as the ejector member 53 is depressed the latching equipment 69, 19 will hold it in the depressed position so that it will not return to its elevated position as soon as the rearmost of the edge of the blank passes from beneath the wheel 55, but will be held in its depressed condition until the feed bar finishes its forward stroke and moves back far enough on its return stroke to cause the cam 24 to depress the rollers 16 and arm i5 and effect a release of the latching equipment. By reason of the provision of this equipment. time intervals sufiicient to assure proper ejection of all double or superposed blanks are provided and normal feeding of blanks is not disturbed.

The bearing and supporting extensions 43, M, 45 being integral with the head 42, all of the ejector and latching equipments except the hook l0 and the arms 72 and 15 are swingable with the head about the pivots provided in the brackets 4|. The normal relation of the hook l0 and the latch arm 59 is shown in Figure 6 of the drawings and from this illustration it will be obvious how the arms 69 can swing away from the hook H! whenever the parts are in their normal non-ejecting position.

It is of course to be understood that the details of structure and arrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a blank feeding mechanism, blank supporting means, a double blank ejector ramp swingable between an inactive position out of contact with blanks being fed and an active position for engaging and diverting double blanks from the supporting means, a reciprocating feed bar effective for feeding blanks along said supporting means to and beyond said ramp, a swingably mounted actuator lever link connected with said ramp for moving the same, a double blank detector element carried by said lever and normally spaced from the blank supporting means a distance sufiioient to permit passage therebetween of single blanks only whereby when a double blank engages said element it will swing the lever and the ramp to the double blank ejecting posi tion, a latch arm movable with the ramp, a latch effective each time the ramp is moved to its ejecting position for engaging and holding the latch arm, and means actuated by movement of the bar for releasing the latch. 2. In a blank feeding mechanism wherein is provided, blank supporting means, and means including a reciprocating bar for feeding blanks along said supporting means; means for ejecting double blanks comprising, an ejector ramp swingable between an inactive position out of contact with'blanks being fed and an active position for engaging and diverting double blanks from the bar, a swingably mounted actuator lever link connected with said ramp for moving the same, a double blank detector element carried by said lever and normally spaced from the blank supporting means a distance suflicient to permit passage therebetween of single blanks only whereby when a double blank engages said element it will swing the lever and the ramp to the double blank ejecting position, a latch arm movable with the ramp, a latch efiective each time the ramp is moved to its ejecting position for engaging and holding the latch arm, and means actuated by movement of the bar for releasing the latch, said last named means including a bell crank lever on one arm of which said latch is mounted, and a cam movable with the bar and engageable with the other arm of the bell crank lever on the non-feeding or return stroke of said bar.

3. In a blank feeding mechanism, means for supporting blanks being fed, means for ejecting double blanks fed along the supporting means and including an ejector movable between a normal inactive position and an effective blank engaging and ejecting position, means for feeding blanks along said supporting means and including a reciprocating feed bar eifeetive to move blanks to and beyond said ejector, means for detecting the presence of a double blank on said support ing means and for moving the ejector to its active position to effect an ejection of the detected double blank, latching means effective each time the ejector is moved to its active position for temporarily securing it in that position, and means actuated by return stroke movement of said feed bar for releasing the latching means to effect a restoration of the normal condition of said ejector.

i. In a blank feeding mechanism, means for supporting blanks being fed, means for ejecting double blanks fed along the supporting means and including an ejector movable between a normal inactive position and an effective blank engaging and ejecting position, means for feeding blanks along said supporting means and including a reciprocating feed bar effective to move blanks to and beyond said ejector, means for detecting the presence of a double blank on said supporting means and for moving the ejector to its active position to effect an ejection of the detected double blank, latching means effective each time the ejector is moved to its active position for temporarily securing it in that position, and means actuated by return stroke movement of said feed bar for releasing the latching means to effect a restoration of the normal condition of said ejector, said ejector comprising a ramp up which double blanks are fed and which is disposed on a lateral incline so that the ejected blanks will gravitate therefrom and a collecting hood fixed to and spaced above the ejector and movable with said ejector to prevent objectionable displacement of ejected blanks from the ejector as by upward jumping of ejected blanks as they are positively forced onto said ramp by said feed bar.

5. In a blank feeding mechanism, means for supporting blanks being fed, means for ejecting double blanks fed along the supporting means and including an ejector and means for swingably mounting the ejector in cooperative relation with and over said blank supporting means for movement between normal blank passing and double blank ejecting positions, means for feeding blanks along said supporting means, means for detecting the presence of a double blank on said supporting means and for moving the ejector to its double blank ejecting position, latching means effective each time the ejector is moved to its active position for temporarily securing it in that position, means controlled by movement of the feeding means for releasing the latch to restore the ejector to normal after each double blank ejection, and means for swingably mounting the means on which the ejector is swingably mounted so that the ejector can be swung away from and out of cooperative relation with and over said blank supporting means.

6. In a blank feeding mechanism, blank supporting means, a double blank ejector ramp swingable between an inactive position out of contact with blanks being fed and an active position for engaging and diverting double blanks from the supporting means, a reciprocating feed bar effective for feeding blanks along said supporting means to and beyond said ramp, a swingably mounted actuator lever link connected with said ramp for moving the same, a double blank detector element carried by said lever and normally spaced from the blank supporting means a distance sufiicient to permit passage therebetween of single blanks only whereby when a double blank engages said element it will swing the lever and the ramp to the double blank ejecting position, a latch arm movable with the ramp, a latch effective each time the ramp is moved to its ejecting position for engaging and holding the latch arm, means yieldably supporting said latch in position for automatically hooking over the latch arm when moving with the ramp to the ejecting position thereby to secure said latch arm in said ejecting position, and means actuated by movement of the bar for releasing the latch.

7. In a blank feeding mechanism, blank supporting means, a double blank ejector ramp swingable between an inactive position out of contact with blanks being fed and an active position for engaging and diverting double blanks from the supporting means, a reciprocating feed bar effective for feeding blanks along said supporting means to and beyond said ramp, a swingably mounted actuator lever link connected with said ramp for moving the same, a double blank detector element carried by said lever and normally spaced from the blank supporting means a distance sufficient to permit passage therebetween of single blanks only whereby when a double blank engages said element it will swing the lever and the ramp to the double blank ejecting position, a latch arm movable with the ramp, a latch effective each time the ramp is moved to its ejecting position for engaging and holding the latch arm, means actuated by movement of the bar for releasing the latch, and a support for said ramp said lever arm and said latch arm swingably mounted so as to be swingable into and out of cooperative relation to the feeding bar.

8. In a blank feeding mechanism, blank supporting means, a double blank ejector ramp swingable between an inactive position out of contact with blanks being fed and an active position for engaging and diverting double blanks from the supporting means, a reciprocating feed bar effective for feeding blanks along said supporting means to and beyond said ramp, a swingably mounted actuator lever link connected with said ramp for moving the same, a double blank detector element carried by said lever and nor-v mally spaced from the blank supporting means a distance sufficient to permit passage therebetween of single blanks only whereby when a double blank engages said element it will swing the lever and the ramp to the double blank ejecting position, a latch arm movable with the ramp, a latch effective each time the ramp is moved to its ejecting positionv for engaging and holding the latch arm, means actuated by movement of the bar for releasing the latch, a support for said ramp said lever arm and said latch arm swingably mounted so as to be swingable into and out of cooperative relation to the feeding bar, and means yieldably supporting the latch in position for normally yieldably engaging the latch arm whereby the swinging of the swingable support can be accomplished whenever the parts are in the normal non-ejecting condition without interference by said latch.

9.- In a blank feeding mechanism, blank supporting means, a double blank ejector ramp swingable between an inactive position out of contact with blanks being fed and an active position for engaging anddiverting double blanks from the supporting means, a reciprocating feed bar effective for feeding blanks along said supporting means to and beyond said ramp, a swingably mounted actuator lever link connected with said ramp for moving the same, a double blank detector element carried by said lever and normally spaced from the blank supporting means a distance sufficient to permit passage therebetween of single blanks only whereby when a double blank engages said element it will swing the lever and the ramp to the double blank ejecting position, a latch arm movable with the ramp, a latch effective each time the ramp is moved to its ejecting position for engaging and holding the latch arm, and means actuated by movement of the bar for releasing the latch, said actuating lever and ramp connecting link being adjustable in length for altering the angular relation of the lever and the ramp.

10. In a blank feeding mechanism. blank supporting means, a double blank ejector ramp swingable between an inactive position out of contact with blanks being fed and an active position for engaging and diverting double blanks from the supporting means, a reciprocating feed bar effective for feeding blanks along said supporting means to and beyond said ramp, a swingably mounted actuator lever link connected with said ramp for moving the same, a double blank detector element carried by said lever and normally spaced from the blank supporting means a distance sufiicient to permit passage therebetween of single blanks only whereby when a double blank engages said element it will swing the lever and the ramp to the double blank ejecting position, a latch arm movable with the ramp, a latch eiiective each time the ramp is moved to its ejecting position for engaging and holding the lat-ch arm, means actuated by movement of the bar for releasing the latch, and adjustable stop means for altering the normal position of the lever arm and the spaced relation of the detector element and the blank supporting means.

PAUL E. PEARSON. 

